While the debates ignite in the paddock regarding a possible non-respect of the budget ceiling by certain teams, it is following W Series qualifying disrupted by torrential rains that this third practice session should have started. free Formula 1… but the race management judged that the conditions were not there.
Taxiing was thus delayed by half an hour and reduced to the remaining 30 minutes. Pierre Gasly was the first to take to the track, on wet tyres, and set the tone with a timed lap of 2’09.894, which kept him at the top of the hierarchy for nearly ten minutes; he then favored the intermediates, like the Red Bull riders, and improved to 2’06″115, before being clearly beaten by Max Verstappen in 2’03″272. The Dutchman drove the point home in 2’02″098. Charles Leclerc briefly took the lead with a time of 2:00.983, but Verstappen then became the first driver to go below the two-minute mark: 1:59.456.
Leclerc took the best time with 1’58″899, a time two hundredths better than Verstappen a few moments later. The Monegasque confirmed his advantage with a 1’57″782, half a second faster than the driver Red Bull now. The session ended like this for the leading duo.
Carlos Sainz moved up to third at the end of the session, the two Alpine having interfered in the top 7 with the Red Bull of Sergio Perez and the Aston Martin of Lance Stroll. Seventh, Stephen Ocon was more than three seconds off the fastest time but was only three tenths ahead of 13th place Gasly, with Sebastian Vettel, George Russell, Daniel Ricciardo, Kevin Magnussen et Lewis Hamilton in this group. Under these conditions, the hierarchy is in any case difficult to interpret. However, rain is unlikely for qualifying.
No accident was to be deplored in this session, simply excursions in the loopholes for Russell, Gasly, Alexander Albon et Nicholas Latifi notably. “I can’t drive like this, guys”launched the Canadian following his exit at the hairpin, complaining of a steering wheel problem.